There are lots of ways a parent can positively impact their child’s education, particularly when it comes to online tuition. It might be tempting to switch off after you have taken the time to find the perfect tutor for your child, and wait to see results from the kid’s tuition. As a parent, you play a big part in supporting your child’s progress and teaching them how to develop good study habits, particularly when the tuition is happening online and in your home. 

Learn how to motivate kids to study using our simple steps below, and help them get the best out of online learning. 

Step 1: Getting the logistics right

Check the right technology, and remove unnecessary tech

The premise of online tuition is that it requires technology to operate. Double checking the technology and connection ahead of the lesson starting can save precious time and ensure the lesson time is uninterrupted by technological issues. 

It is also recommended that any technology not required for the lesson is removed from the room. Having notifications pop up on a phone nearby or a show on the television might be tempting for the student and disrupt the lesson. 

Create the right working environment

Besides removing technology, parents can help kids find a space in the home that supports their learning. This might be in a room in the house they don’t often use or play in, such as an office or spare room, so that they can associate that space with their tutor lessons. It is also beneficial for the learning space to be calm and quiet, away from the noise and activity of the rest of the family. 

Keep to a schedule

Where possible, the lessons should take place at a similar time every week, in order to best fit it into the routine of the student and parent. Having a good planner and organiser can help the student independently set themselves up for studying and mentally prepare for their lesson, a good study habit you can encourage as a parent. It also helps the wider family support the student if the lesson is in the routine - they know to limit their own noise and activity so to not distract from the lesson. 

Step 2: Motivating their learning

Share the importance of tutoring

We encourage you to let your child in on the reason why they are receiving tuition. Whether you are aiming to support their 11+ exams, identify areas of weakness, or help them achieve a final grade, your child will be more motivated to learn if they understand the reason. Otherwise, you’re asking them to give up hours of their free time with no understood reason!

Find what motivates the student

It can be difficult discovering how to motivate kids to study, but as their parent, you know your child better than the tutor. You can support their learning by sharing what motivates them with the tutor, and using it to facilitate good work. Some students might be motivated by verbal praise from the tutor or yourself, others by being allowed to participate in their favourite activities, others by the promise of future gifts. Whatever it might be for your kid, use it to your advantage.

It is also beneficial to speak to your child about when they feel most motivated, to inspire them to understand their own learning techniques best. 

Reward the learning process

A lot of tutoring motivation is linked to outcomes, for example rewarding a student with a gift when they achieve a certain grade or are accepted into their desired school. It is important to also encourage and praise the learning process however, to help students understand the importance of hard work. Putting in effort unfortunately doesn’t always result in the planned outcome which can be hard for you and your child to manage, so it is important students still understand the value of the learning process. Reward your child when you see them putting in the effort to encourage their study habits and future work ethic. 

Step 3: Moving beyond the classroom

Apply what they have learned to the real world

It is important you understand the authority and expertise of the tutor during the lesson time, and leave your child to learn in relative peace. Outside of lesson time though, you can support their learning further by applying what they have learned to the real world. This might require a trip to see erosion in action (Geography), seeing a play (English) or baking a cake (Science). There are lots of fun activities you can do with your child so they can see their recent lessons come to life. 

Be a model student yourself

One of the most important ways you can encourage learning and motivate kids to study is by being a student yourself. If you would like your child to read more, consider how often they see you read, and whether you can swap some TV time for collective reading. If you want them to be more active, demonstrate just how by being active yourself. And if you want them to get the most out of their online tuition, take an interest in their learning and do your own learning or webinar to motivate them. 

The realm of the classroom should be left to the experts of teachers or tutors, but that doesn’t mean you should be ‘hands off’ as a parent. Learning how to develop good study habits is an important lesson for your child to learn alongside their academic studies, best encouraged by you. Taking your child’s tuition seriously and working with the tutor to motivate them will see better results and ensure your child gets the most out of their online tuition.